Key witness in high-profile murder case fatally shoots intruder

The key witness in a high-profile murder case in which the suspect’s conviction was overturned shot and killed a man who confronted her at her home in O’Fallon, Missouri, but investigators believe the two are unrelated.

Pamela Hupp, 57, arrived home just after noon on Tuesday when a man approached her as she sat in her car in the driveway. At some point, the confrontation escalated and Hupp called the police to report a burglary in progress, O’Fallon Chief of Police Roy Joachimstaler told local media.

Hupp broke away and ran inside her house, but the man followed her. As police were en route, the situation escalated and Hupp shot the man, Joachimstaler said. She then placed a second call to the police informing them that shots were fired.

When police arrived a short time later, they found the suspect, 33-year-old Louis Gumpenberger, dead as a result of his injuries. Police only recovered one handgun, which belonged to Hupp, and they did not say if Gumpenberger had some other type of weapon.

According to reports, Hupp was a key witness in a local high-profile murder case from 2011 in which a woman was brutally stabbed to death. The woman’s husband, Russell Faria, was convicted, but acquitted last year on account of new evidence.

Despite the background and timing, authorities do not have reason to believe there was a connection between the shooting and the murder case, nor do they believe the Hupp and Gumpenberger were previously acquainted. It appears Hupp was a random target, although Gumpenberger’s motive is not exactly clear. No vehicle believed to belong to Gumpenberger was found near the scene and his last know address was some 15 miles away.

A woman acquainted with Gumpenberger, who did not wish to be identified, said he was typically an easy-going kind of guy, but he did have a tendency to turn violent. Another acquaintance, Alan Lee Welch, told reporters Gumpenberger was involved in a serious car accident in 2005 while driving drunk and suffered a traumatic brain injury, but he has no idea why Gumpenberger would have gone to Hupp’s home.

Authorities said Hupp is fully cooperating with the investigation, which is ongoing.

The sad reality is with police department cut backs and ever expanding realistate there are just not enough police to keep everyone safe . Last night just trying to pump gas at a gas station 3 men approached me asking for money . It only takes a split second to become a victim . Lucky for me I had 5 friends in my pocket .

Mike Coggins

Think that over, you possibly had three attackers and only five friends with you.

Hope for one shot drops and excellent trigger control under an adrenaline rush.

Omer Woodruff

I trained with many weapons . And the more ammo you have the better your chances of a miss if you don’t train hard . My 5 friends are marked 357. Plenty of power . With 9 mm you have a better chance of needing more ammo . It’s not always a matter of quantity . Look on you tube . There is a video of an officer firing 14 rounds . The officer still got killed . I do understand your point . But that is why your training is necessary also . On most days I don’t carry extra ammo but rather an extra weapon . There is an article on the net from a sheriff in Palm Springs Florida where glock firing pins were breaking . So no matter how much ammo you have . A broken firing pin too can cause a rush ! So do you carry one weapon with 10 or 12 rounds . Or 2 weapons with 5-6 rounds each ? Just a thought ! I was also trained to be a 2 hand shooter rather than just one . Train with both hands . In life there are no guarantees . Train and train hard . Your brain is your best weapon . And there is plenty of gear out there to carry more than one firearm . Keeps your spine balanced too .

b4k9zp

This from a guy who claims that the Gideons International sells bibles that are printed in China. I and many other people have Gideon bibles that state plainly inside the front cover that they are not to be sold to anyone, and that they are “Manufactured in the United States of America”. Woodruff’s testimony is unreliable at best.